Somewhere in My Dreams
by SomethingMoreCreative
Summary: Percy's responsibility as Alpha means that he must keep his pack safe and be a leader, but he can't help but be distracted by the light, gray she-wolf that haunts his dreams every night. And just when he least expects it, his dreams come to life. Percabeth Werewolf AU.
1. Part 1: Percy

**A/N: Okay, yes, I am alive. Sorry that it's been so long! This fic was written for the pjohoobigbang on tumblr, and it has two more parts that I am posting very soon. You guys can come find me on tumblr somethingmorecreative1. I'm usually always there.**

 **I hope everything is going good, and I hope you like this fic.**

 _ **-11122016-**_

Trees blur past as Percy stares out the window. The long, two lane road is near deserted and fully surrounded by thin, tall trees. It's rare that they pass by any stores or homes other than just a few; even those seem to be quiet. The forest here is thinner than his home, which makes him nervous. He doesn't like for the trees to be thin. It gives room for secrets to slip out and enemies to slip in.

He shifts his gaze ahead to stare out the windshield of the truck when Jason reaches out and turns the radio down. The atmosphere goes from peaceful and quiet to tense and difficult in one second.

"Hey," Jason says, voice soft and slow. "We don't have to do this."

"What else are we going to do?" he asks tiredly. They've been having this same argument for days now. "Start a war?"

Jason shrugs, glancing over at him from where he's driving. It's just the two of them. Alpha and Beta. "We would win anyway. You know that the pack would follow you to war if we had to."

"But we don't _have_ to," Percy stresses. He rubs a hand across his face, exhausted from the night before. He had been up late working, and then, when he had managed to fall asleep, the dreams had plagued him all night. "This is the way to fix it."

"But an arranged mating?" Jason says, turning his nose up in disgust. "It's not guaranteed to work, Percy, and it's… it's a bad idea. Especially since you think—"

Percy interrupts him because there isn't a reason to talk about this. He says, "We don't know what I think. It's probably just dreams. We don't have any idea what it is, and we can't just assume that I have a predestined mate out there waiting on me somewhere when I need to have a bonding to secure the alliance _now."_

Jason purses his lips. They travel down the road in silence.

Percy has been Alpha of his pack for a little over two years now. He was raised to be an Alpha by his adopted father, Paul, after his biological parents died. He has been training his entire life for his own pack, and honestly, it's better than he could have ever imagined. His home is safe, and his wolves are happy. Everything is perfect.

Well, except for one thing.

Percy hasn't taken a mate yet, which is largely in part to the dreams that he has at night about a gray she-wolf. It's an old legend, but some werewolves experience dreams where they encounter another wolf as their mate. It's rare, but the bond between these wolves is like no other. It's stronger than the average bond between mates, like the match is so right that the universe pulls the two wolves together through their subconscious without even knowing the other exists.

He isn't sure if this is what his dreams mean, or if they mean that he should get more rest. Because Percy is an Alpha and needs to protect his pack, he doesn't have time to wait around for his spiritual mate. Ever since Percy can remember, the relationship with one of the packs closest to them, about a hundred miles to the west, has never been good. All through Percy's childhood, that pack has been led by cruel leaders who make rash decisions. It reminds Percy too much of the day his parents died.

He is afraid of having a damaged and tense bond with this pack when the Alpha is a man with no morals and plenty of resources. The only way that Percy can think of to strengthen the bond would be an arranged mating. Even though it's an old practice that not many werewolves use or rely on anymore, the union between an Alpha's daughter and another Alpha is respected more than any other bonding. It's the most sufficient way to ensure a safe relationship with another pack.

The GPS on the dashboard signals their turn, and he realizes that they are only a few miles from their destination. Percy sighs and turns his gaze to the window again.

A few minutes later, Jason turns onto a gravel road. The trees are still thin, but Percy can't make anything out in the distance other than the gate that looms in front of them and blocks the entrance.

Percy never thought that he would be here. He always thought that he would get to pick his mate, fall in love with someone and then have a life with them, with someone he chose for himself and someone that chose him because they loved him.

He takes a deep breath and tries to slow his heartrate. He can't let the wolves of this pack know that he's scared. He can't look weak right now. He has to be strong.

Jason breaks the silence between them and says, "We should see if there's another way."

"I already know the way, Jason," Percy says, voice hard. In the distance, he can see a few of the pack's wolves walking toward them, ready to open the gate for them. He climbs out of the truck to stand in front of it, stance firm and aggressive. Jason takes his place on his left a few seconds later.

Percy lowers his voice as the wolves approach. "This pack is old and traditional. If there's a fight, we fight to the death. Let's try not to offend them, but we're not taking any of their shit."

Jason nods, stance mirroring Percy's. It's good to have Jason as his Beta. He's glad that Jason is here with him now.

Percy spots other wolves in his peripherals, wolves that haven't shifted into their human form. He wonders how many wolves make up this pack and what the likelihood is that they get out of a fight alive.

One of the wolves reaches forward and unlocks the gate before two more pull it open for them.

He turns his back on them and climbs into the truck.

Ω

The air in the room is thick and heavy with tension while Percy and Jason wait for the meeting to start. The Alpha of the pack, a man named Dare, has five wolves in the room with them. They stand guard in various places, two close to the door and the others dispersed in the corners of the room. It's silent other than their breathing.

Percy lounges in his chair, feigning boredom. Everything about this meeting requires him to be in control, especially if he wants it to go his way. He can't look weak in front of any other Alpha, especially Dare.

Dare has been the Alpha of this pack for the last decade or so. Even though he's been the Alpha for that long, Percy hasn't had much interaction with him. Even Paul, the Alpha before Percy, didn't communicate with him often. It's only been through other packs and small, interactions that Percy has learned what he is capable of.

He's an inherently cruel man. He treats his pack terribly, controlling them with fear and hatred, and abusing his wolves when they don't listen. He's been reported to the High Court, which is the only government association they have as werewolves, several times over, but his resources have prevented him from being reprimanded for the of errors. The only thing that would really cause him to get into trouble would be killing or threatening another Alpha.

A few seconds before the door to the room opens, Percy hears footsteps from the hall. He drops his feet to the floor and straightens in his chair, staring at the door intently. He feels Jason tense beside him, and even without turning to look at him, Percy knows that he's scanning the other wolves in the room, ready to protect him if he needs it. It's good to have him here.

The door swings open with a light squeak, and a cloud of cigar smoke floats into the room.

Percy immediately recognizes Dare. He wears a rumpled suit, tie loose and hanging low in his collar. He smells slightly of alcohol and strongly of the cigar hanging in his fingertips. A pair of wire frame glasses sits on his nose. Percy fights the urge to roll his eyes. They're just for show. All werewolves have perfect vision.

Dare is followed into the room by two large wolves, both wearing threatening expression. After them, another older wolf comes into the room. Percy recognizes Frederick Chase, Dare's Beta. He's wearing a dress shirt and a pair of slacks. There are dark circles under his eyes, and his shoulders are taught, like he expects a fight. He keeps his eyes on the wolves surrounding them instead of glancing at Percy.

He knows that Frederick was supposed to be the Alpha of this pack. Right before Frederick was going to become the Alpha, Dare swooped in and stole the title from him, bribing the rest of the pack with money and the promise of power and territory. The Elders of Percy's pack have told him stories about it happening, about how Frederick stepped to the side and let him take his pack.

Now, Percy rises to his feet. Jason stays seated in his chair.

"Percy Jackson," Dare murmurs, dark eyes flitting up and down his body, sizing him up.

"Dare."

"A little young, aren't you?" he asks, walking further into the room and stopping on the other side of the table. Frederick follows him to stand a few paces behind him.

Percy fights the urge to smirk. His face remains blank when he says, "But not inexperienced."

Dare shrugs and pulls out the chair on the other side of the table. Percy sinks down into his own chair at the same time.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Dare asks, smirking at Percy through his useless glasses.

"I think you know," Percy replies, leaning back in his chair casually. Jason shifts beside him.

"And why should I even bother for an alliance with a pack like yours, Jackson?" Dare asks, studying his cigar lazily. The other wolves in the room are stiff, waiting on Percy to get offended and attack.

Percy studies Dare, a bored look etched onto his face, "You know as well as I do, Dare, that my pack is stronger, less divided. Unlike yours. By the time your wolves picked a side, this territory would be mine."

"So why not take it? If you're so confident it would be that way."

"I have no interest," Percy pauses slightly. "Yet."

Dare looks at him intently, but Percy doesn't waver. He's seen mean and horrible Alphas throughout his life, and he has sworn that he would never treat any wolf like that. If taking over this pack is the only way to secure a safe environment for his wolves, then Percy won't hesitate.

"And you have proposed an arranged mating with an important member of my pack to secure the bond between us, yes?" Dare purposefully glances at the space behind Percy's shoulder. "You feel that this would—"

Percy feels the shift in the room right before he feels a hand on his shoulder.

He jumps up from his chair, spinning around and reaching out to grab at the figure behind him. Percy can hear Jason growling savagely, but he doesn't intervene.

His vision is tinted red, but he gets his hand around his attacker's throat and lefts him up off the ground. The blonde male is young, and his hands claw at Percy's arms, feet kicking to try and reach the floor. This male must be an Omega wolf, a wolf who barely has enough status in the pack to belong. His dark eyes are scared, and Percy growls up at him menacingly.

Jason stands and hovers close to Percy's side, protectively scanning the other wolves in the room. They look as shocked as Percy feels, but they don't get up or move toward them. Dare stays in his seat, smoking his cigar. Frederick's eyes are wide, but he remains in place behind Dare.

"And you tried to have an Omega kill me, didn't you?" Percy says dangerously, shifting his gaze form the young wolf to glare at Dare. "Did you promise him a place in the pack for my death?"

"And if I did?" Dare asks, unconcerned.

Percy grins terribly up at the wolf still in his hand, fear stitched into his eyes as he claws at Percy's arm. He says, "Then I might reconsider the takeover."

There's a heavy pause, and Percy can feel everyone in the room holding their breath.

"Then it's a good thing that wasn't the occasion. Just a crazed wolf looking for some attention. You may deal with him as you see fit." Dare's voice is short, but it doesn't give anything away.

Percy drops the wolf to the ground and turns back to Dare. Jason steps around him, putting himself behind Percy's back to protect him. Percy leans across the table, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

His voice is low when he snarls, "I suggest you make a decision. Agree to my plan or I'll kill you right now and takeover this entire pack."

Dare hesitates, and Percy can see absolute hate illuminated in his eyes. It's a dangerous thing to say, especially when he and Jason are outnumbered, but Percy needs to keep control over the situation.

"Frederick," Dare says finally, voice tight, stressed. Percy flicks his gaze to the other man, who stands up and steps forward at his name. "Fetch Rachel."

Frederick levels a stare at Percy, and fear and dread fill his eyes. He exits the room quickly, closing the door behind him.

Tense silence fills the room for the moments in Frederick's absence. Percy doesn't move from his position at the table where he towers over Dare. His wolf rumbles with pleasure because Dare won't meet his eyes.

Quicker than Percy expects, Frederick reappears in the door, closely followed by two she-wolfs.

Percy straightens and turns his attention to the women.

The first is almost a foot shorter than Percy. Her curves are easy to see even in the baggy sweater that she wears. Her hair is red and curly, also a little frizzy despite the temperature outside. Her eyes are green, and they find Dare almost immediately.

Percy can tell that this is his daughter. She smells like him in the way that blood related wolves do, and Percy can even see some of Dare's features in her face.

To her credit, she doesn't look nervous or scared to be in a room with another Alpha. She glances around calmly, meeting Percy's eyes for the briefest of seconds, then settles her gaze on Dare again.

As far as arranged matings go, Percy guesses it could have been worse.

He tilts his head forward, breathing in her scent again. He'll have to figure out a way to get past how much like Dare it is, but it should—

He catches something else too.

It's a different scent, something so familiar to him that he can't breathe for a few seconds. Instead of being in a room with hostile wolves and high tension, he's in one of his dreams, running through the forest and chasing after her—the gray she-wolf that he's memorized, that he—

Jason nudges him, as if he could tell that Percy was out of it, and his attention snaps back to the present.

Behind Dare's daughter, there's another woman. She's taller and less curvy, and it's obvious from the way her cheeks are hollow that she doesn't eat enough. She has blonde hair that's pulled back into a ponytail. Her gray eyes are settled on him now, and it's the _exact_ pair of eyes that he's been staring into every night since his dreams have started.

Somehow, Percy keeps himself rooted to the floor.

He wonders if this is really happening or if he has finally snapped from the stress of working so much. He supposes he could be imagining this. He doesn't sleep enough, and it could just be his imagination—

Percy quickly pushes those thoughts out of his mind. He knows he isn't making this up; that's _her._ That's his mate standing right there. He can _feel it._

But he—he can't do anything about it right now. He has to get this deal worked out so his pack will be safe. He has a responsibility as the Alpha to protect them.

So he painfully tears his gaze away from her.

Dare growls, glaring at Frederick. "I said to fetch Rachel. You should have left the other one in the kitchen."

Percy freezes instantly, locking his jaw before a growl slips out.

Dare climbs to his feet and walks closer to his daughter, who is apparently, Rachel. Percy notices the blonde look down to the ground.

Dare stares at the blonde with disgust, stepping closer to her than to Rachel. His voice is hard when he says, "I know that you were misbehaving. I told you to stop reading those stupid books."

And really, that statement shocks Percy to his core. It doesn't even make sense. Why would Dare tell his wolves not to read—?

Percy hears the blonde breath a small laugh as she studies the ground. Before he can move, Dare reaches up with his right hand and slaps her, the momentum of the hit jerking her head to the side.

Percy's vision tints red. Before he knows what he's doing, he's stalking forward, lips pulled back to bare his teeth as a snarl rumbles through his chest. No one is every going to touch her like that because—

He crowds in close to Dare on his other side, close enough for his arm to brush the blonde's. Dare is frozen in place, hesitating where he stands in front of the blonde. Percy growls and growls and he can't stop. He can't _stop._ Not with Dare so close to her. Not with any other aggressive wolf so close to her not with—

"I should fucking kill you," Percy snarls.

Dare's voice is clam and clear when he says, "And why's that? Do you think you like this bitch? She's too wild, won't be suitable for anyone. I'll probably have to mate her myself just to make her useful and—"

Percy can faintly hear the blonde growl, but by the time he realizes what's going on, he has his hand around Dare's throat, dragging him away from both of the women. Percy shoves Dare down to his knees and raises his hand to strike him, but before he can, there are hands on his body, pulling him away from Dare and attacking him.

He throws a punch, knocking the wolf that attacked him to the ground, but out of the corner of his eye, he sees Dare stand and rush out of the room.

"Jason!" Percy growls, going for the door. Before he can get there, another wolf jumps on him, punching him in the nose. Blood drips down his face and over his lips, and Percy shakes the wolf off of him, kicking his body away from him.

Percy can hear Jason fighting in the background, but Percy dashes out of the door anyway. He runs down the hall of the office building, and before he even gets the outside door open, he can hear a car engine cranking and gravelling flying.

Dust is all that's left by the time Percy gets outside.

His chest heaves as he tries to catch his breath and figure out what happened. If Dare ran, then some of his wolves probably left with him. How many of the wolves in the room were prepared to kill Percy today? How many had no idea what side they were on? Only a few of them, maybe three or four out of the seven, actually attacked them. The others stayed still, as if they knew how it would end.

Percy is not overconfident in his abilities over Dare. Dare is a strong Alpha, ready to use cruelty and malice to get anything he needs. But… when an Alpha runs from another Alpha, it's usually for good reason.

Percy needs to move quickly. If he or Jason get hurt, then their pack will be weak.

He turns away, jogging back into the hallway and down to the room where the meeting was held. When he gets there, he notices Jason standing in front of three wolves, who are kneeling, faces turned to the ground. Frederick Chase is standing close to them too, but the two girls, Rachel and the blonde, are standing behind the table. Percy spares a glance at them, where they are clutching each other's arms with wide, skeptical eyes. He forces himself not to stare at the blonde.

"Jason," Percy says. "Call the High Court. We have to tell them what's going on."

Jason glances at him before he pulls his cell phone at and presses it to his ear. One of the wolves kneeling shifts, and Jason growls down at him until he stills.

Percy reaches up and wipes at his nose, hoping to get all the blood. It should be healed by now. Minor injuries never took long to heal, thanks to werewolf genetics. He sniffs and shifts his gaze to Frederick Chase.

"You don't seem to be upset that your Alpha just abandoned you," Percy comments.

Frederick doesn't answer, instead letting the comment hang stiffly in the air. Jason breaks it a few seconds later when he asks, "Are we taking over?"

It's impossible to miss the way Frederick stares at him as he waits for an answer.

"No," Percy says.

Jason frowns, "No?"

"Dare will be back," he says, all of a sudden, positive of this fact. "He's gone to regroup. To wait. And then, he'll come back to kill me."

Jason growls menacingly, baring his teeth at just the thought. "Bullshit. Dare won't ever get close to us."

Percy doesn't respond. Instead, he slowly approaches the women standing on the other side of the room. He stops in front of the blonde and looks down at her.

Her eyes are wide, and her knuckles are white from clutching Rachel's arm. She jerks her head down to stare at the floor. When he sniffs the air again, he realizes that her scent is too similar to Frederick's for them not to be blood related.

That's when he realizes that she's his daughter. The woman is Frederick's _daughter,_ and he still let Dare abuse her? He let Dare say those nasty and derogatory things to her?

Percy's voice is rough when he says, "Why was he mad at you?"

She doesn't look up at him when he speaks. In fact, she doesn't even move. Percy wonders if she's been told not to speak to the Alpha before.

Frederick breaks in and says, "Answer him, Annabeth."

 _Annabeth,_ Percy thinks. _That's her name._

It's fitting for her. Percy studies her intently while she looks down at the floor and then, finally, she murmurs, "I was reading."

He blanches, "Reading?"

He regrets raising his voice even the slightest amount because Annabeth flinches. He forces himself to calm down, but disbelief and blatant _hate_ seep into his voice when he says, "He punished you for _reading?"_

Jason interrupts when he mutters, "We should do a takeover. These wolves don't even know how to breathe without being punished."

"Our Alpha was strict, but he was not cruel," Frederick breaks in, as if he's not lying through his clenched teeth.

Percy growls lightly, "He just insulted and hit your daughter in your presence, Frederick. My elders remember when you were supposed to be the Alpha. Maybe things would have been different if that had happened."

He seems to collapse in on himself, the truth settling on his shoulders like a dead weight. He looks over to Annabeth, and Percy watches the miserable expression on his face settle there, like it's been under the surface this whole time.

"What are you doing here?" Dare's daughter, Rachel, asks suddenly. "Why are you here if you're another Alpha?"

"We're from the pack west of you. We were originally planning on forming a bond with one of your wolves to keep the alliance in place," Percy pauses, realizing that now, he doesn't have that. Dare ran, and it took away all chances of an alliance. "Seeing as you have no Alpha, then that's impossible."

A heavy pause fill the room, right before Frederick breaks it and says, "We have an Alpha. Me."

Percy narrows his eyes.

"As Beta, I can step in to fill my Alpha's absence," he explains unnecessarily. Percy knows the rules, but as he explains it, Percy can see the idea taking root in Frederick's mind. He wants this. "The pack is my responsibility now that Dare is gone."

Percy studies him for a few seconds. He seems serious. The light in his eyes is slowly coming back, and his shoulders straighten, as if the idea of protecting his pack is bringing him back to life.

"Fine," Percy says. "I'll support your takeover of this pack. I'll pledge that it's a good move for the members of this pack."

Surprise fills the room from everyone in it. All eyes are on him as he speaks.

He pauses. Then, "But I have one condition."

Frederick takes the bait, not even hesitating when he says, "Name it."

Percy turns his gaze back to Annabeth, who stands beside Rachel, gray eyes up and watching him curiously. He nods to her before looking back to Frederick.

He says, "She's coming back with me."

Ω

The door closes behind the others, leaving only Percy and Frederick in the room. Jason went outside with the others, and Rachel and Annabeth were sent back to the Alpha house.

Frederick doesn't waste time. He turns to Percy and says, "Why?"

Percy frowns. "Did you see the way that Dare was looking at her? When he comes back, he's going to try and kill me, and he will probably take her away and claim her."

He can't stand the thought of it. He can't stand the thought of leaving her, _his mate,_ here with this broken pack, open and defenseless against Dare. What if he comes back? What if he comes back and hurts her? What if—?

Percy doesn't even know Annabeth, but he knows that she's been mistreated and that she deserves better. Her Alpha hit her for _reading._ There's no telling what other punishments she's had to deal with while her own father sat to the side and didn't do anything to stop it.

She deserves better than this. She deserves _everything_ , and Percy just wants to give that to her.

"And you have no intent of claiming her for yourself?" Frederick asks, eyes narrowing.

Percy clenches his jaw against his suggestion, as if Annabeth is just something to be _claimed._ He doesn't even know her, and he knows that she's the most important thing in the world to him now. His voice is rough when he says, "And if I did? After all, I came here for a bonding with the Alpha's daughter."

"She's not being bonded to you."

"Yet."

Frederick hesitates, but he relents with a sigh. "Yet."

"We're not having the ceremony yet, but she is coming back with me to become part of my pack. I'm not leaving her here for Dare to just come back and _get,"_ Percy explains fiercely. His wolf is relentless. Neither of them can stand the thought of Annabeth being hurt by anyone.

And earlier when Dare was close to her and touching her and talking to her, Percy couldn't see straight. It was like something was touching _him._ It was disrespect. It was _unacceptable. No one touches her—_

Percy is surprised by his wolf's ferocity on the subject, but he agrees with the beast.

"And when she doesn't want to? What will you do then?" Frederick challenges. It isn't worth much. Percy can already see the defeat in his eyes.

"Somehow, I don't feel like there's a reason for her to stay here either."

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review!**

 **-SomethingMoreCreative**


	2. Part 2: Annabeth

**A/N: This part is in Annabeth's POV. There's one more part after this. I hope you guys like it! Come find me on tumblr somethingmorecreative1**

 _ **-11132016-**_

Annabeth packs her clothes into an extra duffel bag that Rachel found stuffed in one of the closets of the Alpha house. Other than her clothes, she doesn't have many belongings. A candle Rachel bought her. Four books that her mother left her. A few other, random things that she's managed to collect over the years. She will pack those into the duffel as well.

Her body is operating on autopilot as she packs her things. Back in the meeting room, with her dad and the other Alpha, he had claimed that he was going to take Annabeth back to his pack with him. Immediately after, everyone was sent out of the room, Annabeth with a heart rate a mile a minute and Rachel clutching onto her arm in a death grip.

Later, her dad came back to the Alpha house and told her to pack her things.

Rachel had cried and argued with her dad, but Annabeth only nodded.

It's not that Annabeth was excited or actually wanted to leave, it's that she hadn't really grasped it yet. She didn't think she would for a while. After all, she had been doing what an Alpha told her to for so long already that this didn't seem like such a big deal.

Annabeth would miss Rachel. She would miss Rachel more than anything.

Pack her things. Leave with strangers. Become part of a new pack. Just more things her Alpha tells her to do.

Annabeth doesn't remember much before Dare become the Alpha of her pack. It's a blank memory—one day Rachel wasn't there and the next she was.

It's the same way with her mother. One day, Annabeth's mom was in the kitchen cooking dinner and baking cookies with her, and the next, she was gone. Every trace of her disappeared, except for the four books that Annabeth has. The Alpha never told them what happened, but Annabeth can guess. When females get too loud or opinionated, they disappear.

Annabeth's father hadn't been the same since.

After that, life in the pack was worse. With Dare as an Alpha, he forced Rachel and Annabeth to do the housework, including cooking and cleaning. He kept them, and all of the others wolves of the pack, in line with violence and cruelty. Annabeth hardly ever spoke to anyone besides Rachel. After the first few times of speaking her mind ending with a slap to her face or a hit to her stomach, she stopped trying.

She supposes that this was the only way to keep the pack in line. How else would an Alpha control his pack?

Annabeth guesses it won't be much different in her new pack. Her new Alpha will probably treat her the same as Dare did. At least she's used to it.

A knock on her open door startles her out of her thoughts, and she freezes.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Annabeth recognizes the voice of the other Alpha, and she slowly turns to face him.

The black haired man is leaning against the door frame, hands tucked into the pockets of the worn jeans that hang on his hips. The corner of his mouth is curled up into a half smile, and his green eyes are bright. He's tall, probably a few inches taller than her, and his shoulders are broad. He looks to be about her age, which is considerably young for an Alpha.

His voice breaks the silence between then when he says, "Can I come in?"

"You already are," she murmurs, wincing when she realizes what she's said.

He laughs softly and steps further inside the room. "Yeah, that was a dumb question."

She stares at him in shock for what feels like hours. Her voice is still low when she asks, "Why are you doing this?"

"Do you know that you haven't taken a breath since I came in?"

Annabeth breathes because it feels like an order.

"I'm Percy Jackson," he says, watching her carefully.

"I'm Annabeth," she says, voice louder than before. She counts it as a victory.

He nods and walks across the room to the window, looking out at the land surrounding them. His green eyes find hers when he says, "I feel like I've met you before. Your scent is familiar. Do you notice that about me?"

Annabeth is surprised to hear him say that. The thing is, she _did_ notice his scent when she went into the meeting today, and she _did_ feel like she had met him before. His scent was so familiar, but Annabeth hadn't recognized him in person, so there was no way that she had ever met him before, right?

She narrows her eyes and shrugs one shoulder, "Yes, but that's not possible. I've never seen you before."

He nods again, and Annabeth watches him carefully. He radiates power, just like her old Alpha did, but somehow, it feels different.

"You didn't answer my question earlier," she says, feeling braver now that he hasn't hit her or been aggressive yet. She turns her back to him to finish packing her things.

"Dare threatened you. I'm not letting you stay here and get hurt when he returns," he explains.

"He always hurts me." It slips out of her mouth before she can stop it, and she senses him freeze in place without even watching him.

He growls, "Not anymore. You're part of _my_ pack. He won't hurt you again."

"So you just have a hero complex that makes you want to save everything that's less than capable of taking care of itself?" she asks. She knows that this is to far; this is the line that he will snap on and put her in her place and—

She wants to know just how far she can push him. She _needs_ to know to stay alive.

"You're plenty capable of taking care of yourself. I saw that much earlier, Annabeth."

His voice saying her name sends a shiver through her body. She's not sure why. Maybe it's because she was expecting him to correct her behavior and instead, the compliment made her head spin a little.

"Then why are you so intent on kidnapping me?"

"Kidnapping would imply that I'm doing it against your will."

"Mr. Jackson—"

"Just Percy."

Annabeth frowns. "Percy, tell me what's going on."

"You deserve to be treated better than this," he grumbles, pacing the room. "He's hit you for _reading._ What else has he punished you for that you didn't deserve? It's… he was your Alpha, and he should have taken better care of you. An Alpha's pack is his number one priority, and he should only care about the safety and health of his wolves."

She stares at him in shock. It's like he's a hero that has jumped out of one of her books that she's kept hidden underneath the floor in her room. Does he really believe this? Or is he just playing her and making her think that this will be what it's like in his pack?

Does it matter either way? She still has to go with him.

"You make it sound nice," she says, turning back around to pack the last of her clothes into her bag. "What a pack is supposed to be like. That can't be real."

"Yes it is. It's real everywhere."

Annabeth rolls her eyes even though he can't see her. "How do wolves behave then? How does the Alpha keep control if he doesn't kill and punish? It shouldn't work. It _can't."_

"Come home with me and find out," Percy says.

She hesitates again, spinning around to find him staring at her again. His green eyes are wide, and she can see a challenge swimming in his gaze. "I don't even know you."

"You could get to know me. You might like what you find."

"And if I don't?"

Percy shrugs, "Then we can find something you do like. I need you to be happy."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you need me to be happy?" she asks.

"I'm not sure yet. It's just… when I figure it out, I'll let you know."

Percy walks back over to the door. He looks back at her when he says, "Come downstairs when you get the rest of your stuff. We're leaving as soon as you're ready."

Annabeth watches him leave and wonders what the hell she's gotten into.

Ω

She finishes packing too quickly. Not that there was much to pack anyway.

She feels numb. Annabeth walks down the stairs in a fog, wondering if this is really happening.

And it's not that it's sad… Percy was right about it not being against her will. She hates this place, hates Dare with every fiber in her body. She hates that she has to be silent and submissive. She hates that there's nowhere else for her to go.

But her dad and Rachel. She doesn't hate them. Even though Rachel is Dare's daughter and she doesn't get treated like Annabeth does, she's her best, and only, friend. She's definitely going to miss her. When she finally understands this whole thing. When it finally feels like reality.

Her dad. Annabeth doesn't think she's going to miss him. He hasn't been the same since her mother died, and he hasn't stopped Dare from hurting her. Even when she's in the same room with him, she feels all alone.

Rachel is waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. She hugs Annabeth instantly, clinging to her. While Rachel cried earlier, there aren't any tears in her eyes now. Her face is blank of all emotions. Annabeth is grateful for it. She doesn't think she would cry about this, but she doesn't want to chance it. Not in front of Percy. Her new Alpha. She doesn't know him yet, but she doesn't want him to think she's weak. She's _not._

Annabeth and Rachel walk out of the Alpha house. Percy and her father are waiting in the yard, close to where a black truck is parked. Percy's gaze finds her as soon as she's outside, but she looks away from him too quickly. Even though he seems nice enough, he is probably pretending. Annabeth doesn't trust him.

Her father steps away from Percy and over to her, holding out one of his arms, waiting for her to hug him.

She steps past him and toward Percy without glancing his way.

Percy looks back and forth between her dad curiously, eyes narrowed, but when Annabeth doesn't look back at her dad, Percy carefully reaches forward to take her bag from her hand. He doesn't let their hands touch, and Annabeth is grateful for it.

"Ready to go?" Percy asks. His voice is low. He's frowning, eyebrows scrunched together to form lines on his forehead.

Annabeth nods and steps up to the truck. For a brief second, she catches her reflection in the window. A bruise is blossoming across her cheek from Dare hitting her earlier, and Annabeth decides to leave that behind too.

Percy pulls the door open for her, and she climbs inside.

The blonde man from earlier is sitting in the driver's seat, one hand resting casually on the wheel and the other on the gearshift. His head is turned in her direction, but instead of looking at her, he's carefully watching Percy out of the window while he speaks to Annabeth's dad. A few seconds later, Percy nods, shakes her dad's hand, and climbs into the backseat of the truck.

"Okay, Jason," Percy says. "Let's go home."

She doesn't look back when they drive away.

Ω

They spend about fifteen minutes in silence until Percy says, "We live about a hundred miles from here. The drive isn't bad; it's just over an hour and a half I think. Jason drives a little too slow for my taste."

Annabeth is so surprised by the sudden sound that she jumps, but after an awkward pause, Jason, the blonde haired man that is driving, laughs and says, "If I let you drive then we probably wouldn't make it home alive."

Percy scoffs in the backseat, and Annabeth's eyes flicker up to the rear view mirror to watch him smile. He looks happier, but his eyes are still dark. Annabeth wonders if he looks like this all the time.

"Annabeth," Percy starts, leaning forward a bit. "This is my Beta, Jason. If you ever need anything and you can't find me, then you can talk to him."

Jason smiles over at her, but he turns his head back to the road almost immediately, not letting his gaze linger on her face for too long.

"Thank you," she says, voice a little above a whisper.

They fall back into silence. A few minutes later, Percy yawns loudly.

Jason laughs again. "Take a nap, Percy. Annabeth and I won't tell anybody that even Alphas need to sleep."

Annabeth chances a glance up into the mirror to look at Percy. He rolls his eyes, grumbling about Jason being a know-it-all before he leans back, resting his head against the seat and closing his eyes.

The hum of the truck's engine and the quiet radio are the only sounds in the car until Percy starts snoring.

Annabeth watches as Jason glances back at him. Then, he glances over at Annabeth and says, "Percy was up all night stressing about this meeting today. He doesn't sleep much because he works so hard to keep our pack safe. That includes you now."

She doesn't really know what to say to that. She gazes at Jason until he shrugs.

"Just wanted you to know that," he says softly. "I don't know if you're upset about leaving your old pack, but Percy wouldn't have done that if he didn't think it was what was best for you. He always puts us before himself."

Annabeth can feel her throat closing a little, like she might start crying. Instead, she nods slightly and turns to stare out of the window. Jason doesn't speak again, just hums quietly along with the radio.

Ω

Jason makes a left turn off of the highway to a smaller, one lane road just as Percy jerks awake with a slight gasp.

Annabeth jumps, glancing up at the mirror to look at Percy in the backseat. He slumps back against the headrest, dragging a hand down his face.

"You okay?" Jason asks, concern coloring his voice.

Percy groans, "If it's not stress it's those goddamn dreams keeping me awake."

She wonders what they're talking about, especially when Jason winces in sympathy. Instead, she asks, "How much longer?"

Jason seems surprised to hear her speak, but he shrugs. "About twenty minutes."

"Thank god," Percy sighs.

Annabeth watches the clock on the dashboard for the rest of the trip, and when it's been roughly twenty minutes, Jason turns off of the road and onto a gravel road that's hidden in the trees. There's a heavy, black gate in front of them, and Percy opens his door and gets out to unlock it so they can pull through.

Her heart is racing in her chest by the time Percy gets back in the truck and they start driving up the gravel road. The trees are dense here, thicker than Annabeth is used to. Up ahead, she thinks that she can see a clearing, and sure enough, she can see a few buildings.

The house—Annabeth guesses that it's the Alpha house—is one of the first buildings. It's bigger and nicer than the house at her old pack. It's a brick house, styled to look like a farm house in a way, but too modern to actually belong in that category. The windows in front of the house are big and open, which makes the house itself look bigger. It's a nice look for it, and the architecture is really nice.

Another building, a low, one story building sits across from the house, separated by the gravel driveway and green lawn. Farther down, there are several more houses spread out, sitting in a style similar to a subdivision. Annabeth wonders if everyone in their pack lives here on this property or if they are separated to live in other places close by to fit in with the humans.

Jason parks the truck in front of the Alpha house and cuts the engine. Percy is the first one to open his door, feet hitting the ground with a small thud. Jason is next.

She hesitates, unbuckling her seatbelt slowly. When she gets out, it will be to her new home and pack. When she gets out, she won't have her old one anymore—this will be it.

Thankfully, Percy doesn't open her door for her. For a few seconds, she was afraid that he would pull it open and demand her to get out. Instead, he waits just a few feet away, her duffle bag in his hand. His expression is neutral, and Annabeth takes a few seconds to admire him.

He's relaxed here—not as tense as earlier. He stands straight, free hand tucked into the pocket of his jeans. His broad shoulders are loose, and when he glances back over at the truck, there's a small smile on his face.

Annabeth takes a deep breath. Then, she opens the door and climbs out.

The cool air helps steady her heart, which is beating wildly in her chest. She hopes that she's far enough away from Percy so he can't hear it, but she isn't sure.

She takes small steps up to Percy. When she gets close to him, he turns to look at her.

"Ready?" he asks, voice softer than she's heard from him all day.

She nods because she doesn't think that she can speak right now.

They start toward the house. Annabeth notices that Jason has already made it up to the stairs of the porch, where a woman stands, arms outstretched with a smile on her face. She's shorter than any of them, but she's ten times curvier than Annabeth. Her dark skin is glowing in the sunshine that casts onto the porch, and then Jason is in her arms, hugging her tightly.

"That's Jason's mate, Piper," Percy says. Annabeth looks back over to him, and there's a big smile on his face.

Annabeth watches as Jason pulls back from Piper's arms and kisses her. He pulls back after a few seconds and presses his forehead to hers.

Percy and Annabeth have reached the stairs by now, and they climb up to join Piper and Jason on the porch

Piper reaches for Percy first, pulling him into a quick hug before she shifts her gaze to Annabeth. Her eyes are beautiful, more like a kaleidoscope than any actual color. There's a small feather braided into her brown hair, which manages to look like a professional style hair cut even though the ends are jagged and uneven. It's short—just barely reaching her shoulders.

"Who's this?" Piper asks. Her voice is nice too.

"This is Annabeth," Percy says.

Piper smiles lightly. "Your mate?"

Percy shrugs, "Change of plans. I didn't get mated to anyone. Jason can explain it later."

"Oh," she says, obviously confused. She brightens again a second later. "It's nice to meet you, Annabeth. What happened to your cheek?"

She flinches, her body jerking awkwardly.

"I'm sorry," Piper says quickly. Annabeth wonders what she must look like for her to sound that upset. "I shouldn't have asked."

She nods, looking down to study her feet. She can feel Percy's on her, but she doesn't look over at him.

"We're going to get Annabeth settled in a room," Percy says, voice deliberately casual. He steps away from Piper and Jason, toward the door. He motions for Annabeth to follow, and she trails after him.

"Annabeth," Piper's voice is soft and apologetic. "If you ever need anything, just let me know."

She forces herself to nod and smile a little. It's not Piper's fault that Annabeth is so fucked up that she can't even function in a conversation. Her voice is a little over a whisper when she says, "Okay. Thanks."

Percy holds the door open for her, and she steps inside the house, which opens up to a hallway and a large living room. The furniture is nice, and the house looks like it's been recently renovated. The gray walls and dark hardwood floors give the room a very homey feel. There are pictures hanging on the wall and sitting on the furniture, and it looks so much like a home that it makes her chest hurt a little. How is she supposed to live here with these people?

Different scents fill her nose as they wander through the house. It puts her on edge, the strange and foreign scents of these other wolves.

Her pack now. Her pack mates' scents.

Percy must notice her heart racing, but he doesn't say anything about it. Instead, he leads her through the living room and down another hallway to the left. They pass a staircase, and Percy gestures up at them.

"That's where my room is," he says, voice light. "If you need me, you can come up there anytime."

She nods, flicking her eyes away from him to study the floor.

They pass several doors down the hallway. Percy gestures to the first one and mentions that it's his office. The next one is where another wolf, Will, sleeps, and then there's a bathroom in the hallway.

Percy finally stops outside of the last door at the end of the hallway. He gestures to it.

Annabeth doesn't breathe when she steps forward and swings the door open.

It's a little smaller than her old room, but there's a large window on the other side that is bigger than her old one. It looks out over the yard and off into the thick trees. The walls of the room are the same, warm gray color, but it matches the dark hardwood and the dark cherry furniture in the room. The bed takes up most of the room, sitting in one of the corner, perfectly made with a purple comforter. There's a nightstand with a matching lamp, and there's a bookcase on the other wall. It's shelves are filled with a few books, but there's plenty of space for other things.

She steps inside the room.

Percy follows her. He sets her bag down onto the bed before sitting down beside it.

Annabeth studies the room. It's nicer than her old one, smaller, but… it feels warmer. It's harder to smell the other scents in the house from here because it's farther and no one stays in here. She thinks that will make it easier for her. She wonders if Percy has already thought of it or if this is just coincidence.

"This okay?" Percy asks.

Annabeth turns to look at him. He's relaxed enough, but his green eyes are wide. There's nothing but honesty there, and in addition to that he… he looks _happy._

Their conversation from earlier hits Annabeth full force. He does seem familiar to her, but she can't figure out how she would know him. If she's never met him in person before, then can she really say that she knows him? How would that be possible?

But… how would he even seem familiar to her at all?

"Annabeth," he says, breaking her out of her thoughts. "You okay?"

She nods, "Yes. Thank you."

He furrows his eyebrows. "Are you sure? You haven't… you haven't really said anything all day."

She sighs and presses a hand against her head. Her voice is a whisper when she says, "I'm sorry."

"Hey, no," Percy objects, climbing to his feet. He walks over to her and ducks his head so she has to look at him. "It's fine. I get it. I just don't want you to be hurting and not tell me, okay?"

His eyes are wide and honest. Annabeth blinks, and then, she nods.

"Okay," he says, straightening. "Let's walk over to the infirmary because I want Will to check you over. After that, I can show you around for a little while. Do you want to go on a run?"

She shakes her head immediately. She can't even _hear_ her wolf right now. There's no way that she would even manage to shift when she's this anxious.

"Maybe tomorrow then," he says, starting out of the room. "Come on."

Annabeth follows him out of the room, glancing back at her room before ducking out in the hallway to catch up to him.

Ω

She hesitates when they to the steps of the infirmary.

Percy must hear her breath catch because he looks back to where she's frozen at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the porch. He frowns and stretches out a hand toward her.

She flinches away from him, which makes Percy flinch too.

He sighs and steps down to stand beside her.

Annabeth looks over at him, and she wishes that she hadn't.

His expression is tormented. His jaw is clenched, eyebrows furrowed, eyes squeezed shut. His hands are fisted at his sides, and his shoulders are shaking just a bit. She can hear his heart racing too, but he takes a few steadying breathes before he opens his eyes and relaxes his body.

After a second, he speaks. His voice is rough and low. "I'm sorry. I'm expecting too much from you."

She stares at him until he opens his eyes. It hasn't even been that long since she left her pack, but with Percy looking so defeated and upset that he's been pushing her, it makes her not want to be so afraid. She wants him to expect things from her. She wants to be okay and to talk to people and fit in with this pack. She wants this to be her home.

Will she ever be able to get that though? Will there be a day when she can look at Percy without thinking that he may hit or punish her for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time?

Annabeth straightens her shoulders. She murmurs, "I'll do better. I _can_ do better."

Percy sighs again. "It's not that. It hasn't even been a day yet. You don't know any of us. Everything is new for you. I'm sorry that I keep forgetting that. _I'll_ do better. None of this is your fault," his voice is fierce. "We'll figure this out, okay? We have plenty of time."

His words take Annabeth by surprise _again_. Annabeth keeps expecting him to say something or to act mean or aggressive toward her, but he surprises her every single time he even glances her way. It's… Annabeth doesn't know what it means yet.

"But," Percy says, a frown etched onto his face. "I do want you to get checked by Will. Even tomorrow would be okay if you want to wait until then."

And did tomorrow sound better. She could go back over to her room, get in her bed, and lay there on her own without having to pretend.

But her Alpha is asking her to do something.

"Now," she murmurs. "Now is fine."

She starts up the steps on her own, and she hears him follow.

Percy grabs the door for her and pulls it open, gesturing inside. She's shaking a bit, but she walks inside the room.

Immediately, the smell of antiseptics fills Annabeth's nose. The large room is set up like a hospital emergency room. Several small, hospital beds are lined up down the wall, each with equipment in between them. The cabinets that line the walls are full of medical supplies too.

"Will?" Percy calls, voice echoing through the room.

A blonde man pokes his head out around a corner before he walks into the room. He's tall and skinny, with clear blue eyes and smooth blonde hair. He's wearing a white doctor's coat with jeans and a plain yellow t-shirt underneath it.

"Percy," the man, Will, says. He smiles lightly. "What's up? Who's with you?"

"This is Annabeth," he explains. "She's part of our pack now. Do you think you can look her over really quick? Just like, a check-up."

Will nods and smiles at her. "Hi, Annabeth. I'm Will, and I'm a doctor. How long has it been since you had a check-up?"

Annabeth frowns. It's probably been years since she went to the doctor. The last time she really remembers going was when her mother took her to see a doctor at another pack when she had the flu. Since then… she's just had to take care of herself.

"Um," she hesitates, voice small and barely audible. She curses herself for it, but she can't help it right now.

"That's okay," Will says immediately. He walks over to a weight scale sitting against the far wall and motions her forward. He grabs a clipboard and flips to a paper before pulling a pen from his pocket. "Let's start with weight and height. Percy, take a seat on the first bed."

Percy grumbles about being told to sit, but he moves without hesitation. He gives Annabeth a quick nod, and then, she slowly walks over to Will.

He seems nice, and he's gracious enough to take his time with her, slowly moving the numbers on the scale. He doesn't comment on her weight, which is too small of a number for her height.

"Percy," Will calls as he writes on his paper. "How are the dreams?"

Annabeth feels Percy tense from across the room. When she glances over at him, there's a weird look on his face, and his shoulders are taunt.

This would be the second time that she's heard someone mention these "dreams" to Percy. What kind of dreams are they, and why are they so important? If Percy has told his Beta and his doctor about them, then they must be concerning, or at least weird. Annabeth wonders what it means.

"Not any better," he mutters, scrubbing a hand over his face. It's obvious that he doesn't want to talk about it.

Will hums and then leads Annabeth over to sit on the bed across from Percy. Annabeth sits stiffly while he listens to her lungs and heartbeat, then checks her reflexes and joints. He only pauses when Annabeth hisses in pause as he tugs on her right elbow.

Percy straightens at the sound, "What's wrong?"

"Is that sore, Annabeth?" Will asks. "What happened there?"

She swallows and stares at the floor because it's easier to talk that way. "I broke it in an accident. It never healed right."

"An accident?" Percy asks. His face give him away. She can tell that he's thinking that Dare did it. He's not wrong.

"Okay," Will says. "In a few weeks, we're going to x-ray it and see if it needs to be set so it can heal right."

"A few weeks?" Percy exclaims. His voice is louder than before. "If she's in pain because of it, then you need to fix it now!"

Will sighs and turns away to the cabinets on the other wall. He pulls a bag out of one of the cabinets before he opens the door to a small refrigerator underneath the counter. When he comes back over to them, he carefully presses the quickly assembled ice pack in his hand to Annabeth's cheek, right on top of her bruise.

"I'm not sure if you noticed, Percy," Will says calmly. "But Annabeth's genes aren't healing her as quickly as they should be right now. This bruise looks fresh, but even it should have been gone if she were healing like normal. If I set her arm, it will be months before it's fully healed."

"Well, why isn't she healing quickly then?" he asks.

Will shrugs and motions for Annabeth to hold the ice pack to her cheek. She replaces his hand, and he picks his clipboard back up. He says, "It's a lot of things. She's distressed right now too."

"Distressed?" Percy frowns.

Will rolls his eyes, "Percy, let's pick you up and pick you in a brand new pack with strange wolves and see how you deal with it."

Annabeth breathes out a small laugh because _finally._ Someone seems to understand her here. It makes Percy grin through the blush that sweeps over his cheeks.

"Okay, okay," he says. "What can you do about it?"

"Nothing really," Will sits down a few inches from Annabeth. "Rest will be the best thing. I also think you should up the amount of calories you take in, Annabeth. You need to gain some weight in the next few weeks. Other than that, it's just going to take some time to get used to it here. You can't expect her to adjust in just a few hours, Percy."

Percy growls lightly, obviously frustrated as he runs his hand through his black hair. "I know that, Will."

"But everything looks good other than that!" Will says. "You don't have any problems when you shift, do you, Annabeth?"

She shakes her head, "No."

"Okay, great," he says, closing up his clipboard. He remains sitting by Annabeth while he studies Percy and says, "Are you alright?"

He frowns, flicking a glance to Annabeth before nodding slowly.

"Your nose is crooked."

"I got punched in the face earlier. Didn't take it long to stop bleeding."

Will rolls his eyes and rises to his feet. He steps over to Percy and tilts his head back. Then, he sets Percy's nose back into place.

A loud _pop_ breaks the silence, followed by a snarl from Percy. Will tilts Percy's head forward and pulls some gauze from his pocket to press against the underside of his nose to stop the bleeding.

"Hold that there," he instructs, and Percy lifts his own hand to hold the gauze in place. Will steps back and looks him over. "Are you sure you don't have any other injuries? I can't help you if you insist on being tough."

Percy growls lightly, narrowing his eyes as he looks up at Will. It's not a mean look, but there's frustration in his gaze. Annabeth is surprised that Will is pushing Percy like this, but since he doesn't seem concerned, this must happen a lot.

Annabeth thinks so. Percy seems like the type to hide pain and be tough on his own.

"I'm fine," Percy says, eyes on Will.

Will frowns. Annabeth can tell that he must be thinking the opposite. Whatever it is about, Percy frowns back at him. Will doesn't say anything else. He comes back over to Percy to take the gauze and wipe away the extra blood with a wet cloth.

"Annabeth," Will says, startling her from her observation. She shifts her gaze from Percy to him. "If you ever need anything or don't feel good, just come over anytime. I'm usually always here."

"His room is also the one next to yours," Percy adds.

Annabeth nods. She hadn't made the connection when she came inside the infirmary, but it's nice to know her neighbor a little now.

Will smiles, "Cool. Percy, come back by if something else is wrong, okay?"

"Yeah," he says, climbing to his feet. "Thank you, Will."

"Anytime. I'll see you around, Annabeth. Like I said, if you ever need anything, just come find me," he smiles, face bright and eager. Annabeth thinks that she might be able to be friends with him.

She tries for a smile and hopes that it doesn't look too much like a grimace. "Thank you."

Percy nods at Will and starts toward the door, pulling it open and holding it for Annabeth. He slips out behind her.

The sun is starting to set, casting a warm, orange glow over the trees and grass. It's getting colder than it was earlier, and Annabeth wonders if they are far enough north that there will be snow on the ground in the coming months. The forest would look beautiful covered in it.

"Are you hungry?"

Percy's voice interrupts her thoughts. She looks over to find him pointedly looking in the direction of the Alpha house.

She shakes her head. She doesn't think that she can eat right now. All she wants to do is get in her new bed, in her new room, in her new pack, and try to forget everything for a few hours. Try to figure out how to survive here.

Percy purses his lips, but he doesn't look surprised. He says, "Okay. That's fine. It's been a long day, and you probably want to sleep."

Annabeth nods. It's clear that he isn't finished yet.

"But," Percy says, finally looking over at her. His eyes are sharp, but not unfriendly. "You heard Will. You have to eat more. So, you don't have to eat tonight, but you have to start trying tomorrow, okay?"

She nods. Tomorrow is a realistic goal. Tomorrow she will feel better. Tomorrow she can make herself fit in here and get used to it.

He's silent while they walk across the yard, until, "I'm proud of you."

She frowns, turning to find him already staring at her. "What?"

"I'm proud of you," he repeats, not bothering to elaborate.

Annabeth feels a blush spread across her cheeks. It's a weird feeling—being praised by her Alpha. It's something that she's never felt before. It's… she wouldn't mind feeling it _more._

They walk over to the Alpha house in silence, Percy opening the door for her and guiding her back to the hallway and down to her door. He hesitates there, stopping outside and looking up at her.

"If you need anything, all you have to do is ask, Annabeth," he says, voice low and warm at the same time.

She nods.

"I'll see you in the morning. I'm right upstairs if you need me," he explains, shuffling backwards. It's the first time that she's seen him resemble anything close to awkward.

"Thanks," she breathes, stepping forward into her room.

"Annabeth?"

She looks back out into the hallway to find him scratching the back of his neck. He says, "I'm really glad that you're here. Goodnight."

She blinks at his words. When it's obvious he's waiting for some kind of response from her, she whispers, "Goodnight."

Annabeth watches until he disappears through the living room, and then, she shuts the door to her room. She stares at the room for a few minutes until she walks over to her bed. It takes an embarrassingly short amount of time for her to unpack her things. She places Rachel's candle on the nightstand. She hangs her few clothes in the closet. She carefully shelves her mother's books on the bookshelf by the window.

After, she stands in the middle of the room and stares at everything. She can hear low voices outsider her door, but tonight, she isn't brave enough to join them. Maybe tomorrow.

Instead, Annabeth turns to her bed and climbs underneath the clean, soft sheets and lets herself succumb to her own dreams.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review!**

 **-SomethingMoreCreative**


	3. Part 3: Percy

**A/N: This is the last part! I hope you guys have enjoyed it. Don't expect a lot from me in the next few weeks bc finals are coming quickly, but I'm hoping to get some new stuff up on Christmas break. If you need me, I'll be on tumblr somethingmorecreative1**

 _-11122016-_

Percy doesn't get any sleep that night. Between the stress and the dreams, it's not even worth laying in his bed.

The dreams are worse. It hasn't even been one full day, and they have tripled in vividness. Now, instead of featuring only the gray wolf, it's all Annabeth. It's Annabeth in human form. It's her body, her face, her _voice._ She's everywhere. Percy can't stop seeing her.

By the time he wakes up from the third dream of the night, he gives up on sleep and heads downstairs to his office. He has paperwork to do anyway.

It's been hours by the time someone knocks on his door. Percy's eyes are already tired from reading, and it's barely eight in the morning.

"Yeah?" he calls.

Piper opens the door and leans inside. She's still dressed in her pajamas, hair messy and eyes sleepy. She frowns when she sees him. "You know it's too early for you to look this stressed, right?"

He groans, "Tell me about it. I couldn't sleep."

Piper's face softens, and she steps inside his office, closing the door behind her. She takes a seat in one of the chairs across from his desk and leans forward. She says, "Jason told me about Annabeth."

Percy feels himself blush. "Which part?"

"All of it."

He sighs, "The dreams are getting worse. Last night, it was so bad I just got up and came down here instead of even trying."

"But aren't you excited about finding her?"

"Yeah," he says immediately. "Definitely. And I couldn't be happier that she's here now and that she's safe, but it's hard. I haven't even seen her again, and I feel like my heart is about to stop just thinking about it."

Piper smiles a little.

Percy groans again. "I know that you enjoy my pain, but if you could hide it a little better that'd be great."

She laughs, "I'm just really happy for you. I'm glad that you found your mate. Ever since I found Jason I feel like you've been a little off."

He rolls his eyes automatically. Piper has been saying that since the very first day she met Jason, that something with Percy seemed _off._ And sure, it had been tough to see his best friend become closer with Jason that him, but it had been worth all of that to see her and Jason be so happy together.

Percy and Piper have been best friends since they were little, basically ever since Paul brought him to this pack after his parents were killed. Piper had been his age, and she had welcomed him into her pack. They've been best friends ever since then. So close that when Percy was appointed to Alpha, he picked Piper as his Beta.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, Jackson," Piper interrupts his thoughts.

"Whatever, McLean," he grins. "Or should I say _Grace?"_

The smile slips off of her face. "Jason told me that Annabeth's old Alpha abused her. Is that true?"

Percy nods. "Yeah."

Piper nods too. "I'm sure everything will work out, Percy. I know that it has to be hard for you."

He shrugs, "I'm trying not to think about it. However hard it is for me, it must be ten times that for Annabeth, you know?"

"Yeah, but I think she'll be okay."

"You do?"

"Yeah, dumbass, she's got you," Piper gets up from her chair and heads back toward the door. "It might take a while, but it will work out. I know it."

Percy sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Can you try to be friends with her? I just want her to feel like this is her home."

"Of course, Percy. Now come eat breakfast and stop worrying so damn much."

Ω

Percy is sitting at the table, eating a stack of pancakes that Piper has cooked when Annabeth tiptoes into the room.

His senses immediately narrow to her. She wears a pair of jeans and a plain long sleeve t-shirt. Her blonde hair is ruffled, laying past her shoulders in waves. Her scent is stronger, and it appeals to Percy even more today because she smells like home now.

"Good morning, Annabeth," Piper says softly from where she stands at the oven. After years of burning food, she's finally gotten the hang of cooking pancakes at least. "Do you want some pancakes?"

Percy watches Annabeth nod. She steps lightly into the room, eyes darting from Piper, to Percy, then to the floor.

Piper hands Annabeth a plate stacked high with pancakes. Then, Annabeth carefully sits down into the chair across from Percy.

"Annabeth," Percy says gently, offering her a small nod. "Did you sleep okay?"

She blinks up at him, and her voice is low when she says, "Yes. Thank you."

Percy nods again, trying to think of something that he can say to her. He hesitates over everything that he thinks of, and by the time he thinks that he's ready to ask her what she wants to do today, Jason walks into the kitchen.

He greets Piper first, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and then, when he turns to Percy, he frowns and says, "You look like shit."

Percy growls in frustration, grip tightening on the fork in his hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Annabeth freeze.

He forces himself to relax. His voice is wary when he says, "Couldn't sleep. I've been working all morning."

"Oh," Jason says. His tone lets Percy know that he understands exactly why he couldn't sleep. "Maybe you should go see Will."

Percy pours more syrup onto his pancakes and stares at Jason instead of answering him.

"Okay," Jason relents, grabbing a plate from Piper and sitting down next to Percy. "I got an email from the High Council this morning."

"Good," he says. "We need to discuss that anyway. I also have to finish up Annabeth's transfer paperwork and get it in the mail. Then, we should probably call a pack meeting tonight."

Jason is in the middle of nodding when Piper says, "Do you think it might be too early for that, Percy?"

"Why would it be too early?"

"Annabeth just got here yesterday," Piper rolls her eyes at him, like he should have known that. "I doubt she wants to meet everybody tonight."

Percy shifts his gaze to Annabeth. She's already looking at him, gray eyes wide, but he can't tell what she is thinking. After a second, she looks back down to her food.

"Okay," he says slowly. "We can wait a few days for the pack meeting."

Annabeth seems to relax at that, and even though it's barely noticeable, Percy counts it as a win. He can make her feel better. He can figure this out.

"What are you doing today, Piper?" Jason asks to break the silence.

Piper hums and finishes scooping her own pancakes onto her plate before sitting down next to Annabeth. She says, "I thought I would just hang out with Annabeth and show her around. I might go find Hazel and ask if she wants to go grocery shopping with me tomorrow."

Jason nods, "Are you going out to town? If you do, drop my books back off at the library."

Percy shifts his gaze to Annabeth when she glances at Jason. It takes him a second to remember that she reads. He also realizes that it's the only real thing that he knows about her. He needs to tell Piper about that so they can go to the library soon. Annabeth already doesn't trust him, so there's no sense in her thinking that he's just pretending to be nice to her. No, he'll tell Piper, and she can handle it from there.

In fact, Percy does need to learn more about her. What does she like to do other than read? Does she like to run? Is she allergic to anything? What about her past? Were things different for her before Dare became the Alpha? And what about—

"Percy."

He jerks his gaze back to Jason. He hadn't realized that he had been staring at Annabeth. Thankfully, she has her head down, eyes on her food. He wonders how long Jason has been trying to get his attention. Hopefully not for long.

"What?" he tries to keep his voice light, but he's tired and frustrated. They may have to deal with the fallout of his terrible mood today.

Jason frowns, blue eyes wide and brows furrowed. "Maybe you should try to get some sleep for a few hours."

Percy shakes his head. While that sounds like a good idea, he knows that as soon as he tries to sleep again the dreams will prevent him from resting. Why should he even waste time when there's work to be done?

He gets up from the table. "I'll be fine."

"You're going to run yourself into the ground," Piper argues. Her fork scrapes across her plate. The sound irritates Percy's ears.

Instead of arguing, he growls at her before rising to rinse his plate off in the sink. Then, he turns back to Jason and says, "Meet me in my office when you're done."

Jason nods, and Percy walks out of the kitchen without glancing at Annabeth.

Ω

Once he's back in his office alone, he closes the door and leans back against it.

What is happening to him? Why is he so frustrated all of a sudden? Why does he feel like he needs to know everything about Annabeth that there is to know, especially when she won't even talk to him? And why does _that_ feel like such a terrible thing? He knows that Annabeth needs time to adjust to the pack. He understands that she can't just be one of them without some time to heal.

But why is his wolf so adamant about thinking otherwise? Why does he feel like he _needs_ to be with her? Is this what people with mates feel like? If so, Percy's not sure that he wants it.

He pauses at that thought. No, he _definitely_ wants it.

Annabeth... She won't even hardly look at him right now. Maybe after a while she would get used to it here, sure, but how long will that take? Percy doesn't know if he can keep going on like this.

And hell, it's barely been one day since he's met her. It's barely been one full day, and Percy can't get himself to think straight. What was it going to be like tomorrow? Or next week? What about next _year?_

He growls to himself and pushes off the door before he makes his way to his desk. There are stacks of paperwork piled high on his desk, everything from Annabeth's transfer paperwork to the property values for the acres surrounding them.

Percy has a lot going on right now, and it doesn't help that he's not getting any sleep.

Just as he slumps down into his office chair, his desk phone rings.

With a sigh, he grabs it from the stand. His voice is gruff when he says, "Percy Jackson."

"Percy," Frederick Chase says on the other side of the line.

He scowls. Why would Frederick Chase be calling him? If he is planning on asking for Annabeth to come back, then he could—

"Frederick," he says, voice cold. "Why are you calling?"

"I got an email from the High Court this morning, and I wanted to thank you for supporting my takeover. They would not have granted me the position without your recommendation," Frederick says.

Percy hums into the phone dangerously. He doesn't know where this conversation is going, but he knows that he doesn't like it.

"And, I wanted to update you about Dare."

Percy tenses. He grits out, "What?"

"There were several thousand dollars taken out of our funds late last night before I could get the account changed and secured. I'm not sure where Dare has gone, but I think you were right. He will probably return," he says, voice defeated and low.

Percy scowls. "We'll be ready for him when he does."

There's silence on the other side of the line until Frederick says, "How is Annabeth?"

Before he can answer, there's a light knock on his door, then, Jason slips inside. He frowns when he sees Percy on the phone.

Percy says, "She's fine. She's getting used to it."

"Does she—is she happy?"

"She will be," he says, clenching his teeth. His grip is too tight on the phone. He forces himself to loosen his fingers a bit.

Frederick doesn't say anything for a few seconds, until, "Okay. Please call if you need anything. I hope there can be an alliance between us now. You're a strong Alpha, Percy."

"Thank you, Frederick," he says, a little pleased with his comments. "Please let me know when you find out more information about Dare, if you ever do."

"I will, and—" Frederick's voice breaks. "Take care of Annabeth."

"I will," Percy says. Then, he hangs up the phone.

Percy can feel Jason's eyes on him, but he waits a few seconds before he looks up and catches his gaze. He says, "That was Frederick Chase. Apparently, Dare stole money from the pack before Frederick could secure the accounts. They don't know where he went, but Frederick promised to let me know if he heard anything else."

"And Annabeth?" Jason asks.

Percy sighs, "I told him that she would be happy here."

"She will be, Percy."

He is glad that someone else believes it because right now, he's not sure.

Ω

 _Annabeth smiles at him over her mug. She's still in her pajamas, and her hair is messy, but she looks like a goddess where she is perched on the counter, sipping coffee. She sets her mug down and holds her arms out, beckoning him forward._

 _He walks closer to her, slipping his arms around her body and groaning when her legs slip around his waist to pull him even closer. She ducks her face into his neck, murmuring something that he can't hear, and then, she's tipping her head up, eyes flittering closed, and just as Percy leans down to kiss her-_

He wakes up.

Percy jerks, but there's nothing that he can physically get away from. He is in his bedroom, dark and alone, with no trace of Annabeth anywhere. She's not here, just like always, just like every night that he has woken up from a dream like this over the past two weeks. Just like how he woke up from the first two earlier that night, expecting her to be in his arms.

He groans and rolls over to look at the clock, and even his wolf moans at the time. It's nearly five, so he could just get up and go for a run or go down to the office and work for a few hours before breakfast. That would give him some time try and forget his dreams before he has to see Annabeth anyway.

 _Or,_ his wolf rumbles, _we could go back to sleep._

Percy growls and rips the sheets off of himself, rolling to the ground and grabbing for a pair of sweats. He pulls them up over his hips and heads downstairs to get some water before his run. Anything to get away from the dreams.

Ω

He stays out longer than he planned, so when he comes back, most of the house is already awake. As he walks out of the woods, he can see Will heading over to the infirmary already, dressed for the day and sipping on a glass of orange juice. Some of the other pack members are leaving in their cars, off to work in town. A surprising number of his wolves like to work, which is good because it makes their life seem like it's more normal.

Percy heads back to the Alpha house, running a hand through his hair. He's sweaty, gross, and covered in leaves and mud. The television in the living room is on, which is how Percy knows that Piper is awake. She likes to listen to the Today Show in the mornings while she cooks.

He wanders into the kitchen, tugging his sweatpants up as he goes.

Sure enough, Piper is standing at the oven, pulling bacon from a frying pan. She's dressed too, and when Percy glances at the clock, it's already close to eight. He stayed out _way_ longer than he meant to.

And he can feel it in his bones. His muscles are sore, his head is hurting, and even his eyes are burning. He wonders if it has something to do with the run he went on, or if it is because he hasn't been sleeping enough. He guesses it could be both. But, even though he feels like hell, something inside him feels... better too. Like, maybe if he wanted to sleep, he could for a few hours.

He doesn't want to try it anyway.

Percy shakes his head and walks to the refrigerator. It's only then when he notices Annabeth sitting at the table, reading a book while eating a plate of bacon and eggs. He freezes at the sight of her sitting there because all of a sudden, all he can see is her smiling at him and leaning over to grab his hand.

He blinks hard. It's not real. The dreams aren't real.

Piper sniffs and turns to look at him. She turns her nose up and says, "You stink."

Percy rolls his eyes and grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator. He downs half of it then, hoping to chase away his headache, then turns to her and forces a grin, "You do too."

She frowns. "You're covered in mud. Where have you been? And you look like hell."

"Couldn't sleep," he says, glancing down at his chest. She's right. There's a streak of mud right across his collarbone.

She hands him a plate. "I'm serious, Percy. You don't look good. Annabeth, tell him he doesn't look good."

Percy feels it more than he sees it when she looks up at him. Her gray eyes widen, and she looks him up and down before frowning. Her voice is louder than normal when she says, "You don't look good."

He frowns too and sits down across from her. "I'm fine."

Despite himself, Annabeth looks really good this morning. She's wearing a blue sweater, and her curly hair falls perfectly down past her shoulders. Her eyes are wide and alert, and it even looks like she's gaining some weight. That thought, that Annabeth is getting better, could heal him of a million sleepless nights.

"What are you guys doing today?" he asks, forcing himself to drink more water before he starts eating.

"Annabeth is almost done with that book so after we go grocery shopping, we're going to stop by the bookstore in town," Piper explains, turning back to the stove.

Annabeth frowns at Piper's back. "Library. We're going to the library."

Before Percy can ask, Piper jumps back, "The library doesn't have the next book in that series, remember?"

Annabeth's frown deepens, especially when she glances at Percy. "There are plenty of other books at the library."

"We're not going to go broke from a few books, Annabeth," Piper argues. "You want them, so we're getting them."

"But—"

"If you want them, get them," Percy says, getting up to grab another water. "It's no big deal."

Annabeth turns her frown to him, which is one of the first times that she's looked at him like that—not shy, but open and even angry. Percy tries to hide his grin.

Her voice is even and measured when she says, "No. I like going to the library."

Percy shrugs, "Alright."

Annabeth reads at the table while Percy finishes his breakfast. He tries not to stare at her, but he's not sure how well he manages. By the way Piper is humming to herself, he guesses he's not being very subtle.

After he finishes eating, he walks to his office and checks his messages. There are a few from his pack members, one from the High Council notifying him that Annabeth's papers have been fully processed, and another one from Frederick Chase. When Percy hears his name the first time, it scares him that something else with Dare has happened, but as Frederick speaks, it seems as though it's just an update from his pack.

He's bent over his desk listening to it when there's a knock at the door. He stops the message.

The door opens, and Annabeth peeks her head into the office.

"Percy?"

Her voice is soft, and it makes his mouth go dry. _This is not a dream. This is not a dream._

"Yeah?"

"Piper and I are leaving," she says. "She asked me to tell you."

Percy curses Piper for doing this to him.

"When are you coming back?" he asks, voice a little choked.

Annabeth shrugs and steps further into his office. The door inches closed behind her. She says, "We're not sure. Piper said that we might be gone all day."

He nods and watches her. She's watching him too, gray eyes wide. He says, "Okay. Be careful."

She nods too and turns to go. When she gets halfway out the door, she looks back and says, "Percy, you really don't look good. Maybe you should try to rest."

He nods and says, "Okay, Annabeth."

It's small, but she smiles at him before she closes the door.

Percy groans and shoves a hand through his hair. He can't take much more of this.

It's been two weeks since Annabeth got here, and she seems to be doing better. She fits in with Piper and Jason, and from what Percy learns from Piper, she likes it here. She hasn't met the rest of the pack, and she hasn't seen the rest of the territory but… she can look around now without wincing. She can look at _him_ without glancing away immediately. She can talk to him now too.

Percy just wonders if by the time she's ready, he'll have gone insane from not being able to be with her.

Ω

Hours later, Percy is sitting at his desk in his office, and he can't see straight anymore. His eyes are burning, and his whole body is aching. It's been too long since he's gotten a full night's sleep, and just getting very few hours in a night for the past two weeks isn't combating the amount of work that he does in a day.

He's exhausted. He needs to do _something_ about this.

Piper and Annabeth are still gone to town, shopping or looking around at the library. Jason has been gone all day, dealing with pack business and hopefully the rest of the High Court's emails.

The house is quiet. Honestly, Percy could lean his head down and fall asleep here. If it wasn't for the dreams.

He doesn't know how much longer he can keep this up.

After another hour of staring at the same line in the same report he's been trying to read for ages, he pushes back from his desk and walks out of his office.

Percy walks out of the house and across the yard. He keeps his clenched hands inside his pockets and his eyes on the ground as he walks. He climbs the stairs to the infirmary quickly and slips inside the cool room without anyone from the pack seeing him. He stumbles over his own feet inside the door, and Will looks up at him from his desk in the corner.

Will seems to know exactly what Percy is thinking just by looking at him because he stands and says, "The last bed down there will be the quietest. Did you eat lunch?"

Percy nods as he stumbles toward the bed that Will had pointed to. Now, his head is pounding, and his eyes are watering. He just needs some _sleep._

When he sits down on the small cot, Will comes over with a blood pressure cuff and a glass of water. Percy takes the glass from him and takes a sip of water while Will deals with his blood pressure.

After finishing, Will folds the blood pressure cuff and comments, "You're too stressed. It's catching up with you. You need to rest."

"The dreams keep me awake," Percy mumbles.

"I know they do. They've gotten worse since Annabeth got here," he says.

Percy blinks over at him. His eyes are still watering.

Will pulls out his stethoscope and presses it to his chest. He says, "It's her, right? She's your mate."

Percy nods numbly, "Yeah. It's her."

"Okay," he says. "I'm happy for you, but this situation is staring to affect your health. We have to control it, okay? You need to rest. You do have to work, but you're no good to us if you're unhealthy."

He feels tears start to prick at his eyes, "Yeah."

"So we're going to let you get some rest—without the dreams."

Percy nods again, relief coursing through him so strongly that he feels like he could fall over. A break from the dreams sounds better than anything.

Will steps away and come back a few seconds later with two pulls in his hand. He offers them to Percy, and he swallows them without complaint, hanging back the glass of water too. Will helps him lay back against the pillows, and his eyes flutter close. He listens as Will shuffles back across the room to his desk, but then, there's quiet.

Percy falls asleep that way, and for once, he dreams of nothing and no one.

Ω

When he wakes up the next morning, everything makes a lot more sense.

His wolf is quiet this morning, which is strange because every other morning the beast has been raging to go find Annabeth. Thankfully, the both of them finally seem to be on the same page. Maybe Percy really did need to get some rest.

When he gets up to go to the bathroom and looks in the mirror at himself, the dark circles underneath his eyes are gone.

It's already close to nine by the time he makes it downstairs. He can hear the TV playing in the living room, and he walks to the kitchen to find Piper and Annabeth seated at the table, cutting up the newspaper and sorting through coupons.

He smiles at the two of them. Piper is grinning and laughing at something that Annabeth has said, who is also smiling down at the newspaper in her hand.

Piper looks up, and when she sees him, she smiles and waves her scissors at him. "Thank god, you finally look like you're alive, Percy."

He growls playfully as he sits down at the table with them. "Shut up, Piper."

She laughs, "But no seriously, you look a lot better."

"You really do," Annabeth says, and when Percy looks over at her, she's smiling at him over the top of her newspaper.

His heart thuds in his chest, and he grins at her.

"You want me to make you something to eat?" Piper offers.

He shakes his head, "I got it. What are you guys even doing?"

He listens to Piper explain their coupon cutting as he fixes himself a bowl of cereal and sits down with them to eat. Every few minutes, Annabeth looks up at him with a small smile, and something inside him settles.

Ω

Percy is sitting in his office, glaring at the stacks and stacks of paperwork that has to be completed. He loves being Alpha, loves taking care of his pack and his wolves, but the _paperwork._ He hates it.

There's a knock on the door, and Annabeth pokes her head inside the office.

"Percy?" she asks, voice light and careful. He wonders if everything is okay. Though Annabeth has been more interactive and talkative with him, she hasn't sought him out on her own yet. He wonders if she's doing it because something is wrong.

"Hey," he says, studying her as he leans back in his chair. "Everything okay?"

"Can I come in?"

Percy nods immediately.

She steps inside slowly, and Percy watches her. She walks on her tiptoes, which she's been doing since the very first time Percy saw her in Dare's pack. Her face is open, not nervous like so many of the other times that he has spoken with her. She's doing better now than ever, but Percy still doesn't want to push her too far.

"What's up?" he asks, motioning for her to sit down in the chair across from his desk.

She sits, and then she sighs. "I feel like I'm not doing anything."

He frowns, "What do you mean?"

"It seems like everyone else has jobs or works out in town or… just _does_ something. All I do is read and hang out with Piper," she explains. "I don't want to take up space and not help."

Percy stares at her, and to his surprise, she doesn't fidget under his gaze. Her jaw is clenched, but other than that, she seems perfectly at ease in the room alone with him. Percy ignores how much that pleases him.

He leans forward. "Annabeth, you've barely been here for a month."

"So? I want to help."

He bites back a grin. "I'm trying to give you time to get used to the pack and our life. I know that it's been difficult for you."

She frowns, "I'm doing fine."

"You know that you still walk on your toes, don't you?" Percy asks, standing up and walking around to lean against the front of his desk so he can be closer to her. "And you still favor your right arm. You flinch when someone slams the door, and if I even walk in on you reading somewhere it looks like you're about to have a panic attack if I try and say hi to you."

Her face is red, and she looks down at the floor. Her voice is quiet when she says, "I'm trying."

"And you're doing a really good job, and I'm proud of you, but we're not taking it too fast, okay? There's plenty of time for you to help out, so for now, I want you to keep socializing with the pack and reading when you want. You're making friends, right?"

She nods. "Jason and I talk about books. Piper and I hang out every day."

Percy hums, nodding to himself. "Good."

"What did you expect from me? When you brought me back with you?" she asks suddenly, gray eyes wide when she looks up at him.

He wonders what he should say. The only real thing that he was thinking when he made the proposal to her father that day was that he had to protect her and that he had to get her away from that environment.

He settles for, "I didn't expect anything. I just wanted you to be happy and safe."

There's an awkward pause between them, and then Annabeth says, "I never thanked you."

"You don't have to. You're part of my pack; it's my job."

"Yeah, but I wasn't then."

Percy shrugs. "You were. We just didn't know it yet."

Ω

The thing is, Percy thought that Annabeth was getting better.

After she came to find him in his office a few nights ago, she's been being more open with him. There's been a few nights where he comes in and sits down beside her on the couch while she reads, or she even sits in his office and reads for a few hours while he works on paperwork. It's nice—being alone with her, but it makes Percy wonder if she feels the same way, if she realizes that there's more between them.

The bond is there, and it's as intense as ever. Thankfully, the dreams have been less vicious since he got caught up on his sleep. Some nights, when he has spent a lot of time with Annabeth in the day, they are worse than others, but they never seem to regress to what they were before. He doesn't know if he would be able to stand it if they had continued.

But Annabeth. She has been doing better over the past month. She has been talking and smiling more, eating more and gaining weight, and just looking _happier._ Percy thought that being here was helping her and that she was getting better.

At least, she had been up until a few days ago.

Annabeth hasn't been able to look at him. It's like she's reverted back to the very first time he met her because she can't even look up at him anymore. The first time he tried to speak with her, she flinched away from him and stared at the floor.

When Percy talked to Piper about it, she said that Annabeth wouldn't hardly talk to her anymore either. Neither of them were sure what was happening.

After two days of this incessant pattern, Percy figures out what's wrong. The precise moment that he does, he's standing at his window, staring at the almost full moon.

The next afternoon, when Percy finishes all of the paperwork he has, he walks down to Annabeth's room and gently knocks on the door before he opens it and steps inside.

She's curled up on her side in bed, with a book held close to her chest. She flinches when she sees him, which makes Percy's heart ache. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is held in a stiff frown.

"Annabeth," he says softly. "I need you to come with me."

She just stares at him. Slowly, after a few seconds, she shakes her head.

He nods, and this time, his voice is harder and more stern when he says, "Yes. Come with me. I need to help you."

She hesitates.

Percy steps forward and holds out his hand. He hates it, but he growls lightly when he says, "Annabeth, you need to take my hand and come with me."

She whimpers, but she does. When she places her hand in his, the first thing he notices is how hot her skin is.

Percy gently pulls her out of the bed and to her feet. She is stiff on her feet, rigid and strong in a tense way. He laces their fingers together and pulls her through the house to the front door. Thankfully, there is no one else in the house so they are alone as he guides her outside.

The sun is bright, but the wind is chilly. The leaves are starting to change colors, and it's going to be a beautiful fall and winter.

Annabeth's fingers are tight in his own. Her hand is hot in his, and her grip is strong, like she's clinging to him.

They pass the tree line and walk through the forest on a well-worn path. They get to a small clearing, and Percy comes to stop. He makes himself let go of Annabeth's hand, and then he steps away from her.

Annabeth clenches her fists at her sides and stares down at the ground. Her voice is low and shaky when she whispers, "What's going on, Percy?"

He crosses his arms over his chest, "You haven't shifted in more than three weeks that I know of."

"Some wolves only shift once a month," she says, glancing up at him.

"True, but not you. I can tell you're getting anxious. You need the exercise too."

Suddenly, Annabeth's eyes fill with tears, and she wipes them away as they fall. Her shoulders are hunched over and caved in as she bends her head forward. Her voice wobbles when she says, "I can't hear her anymore. I think she's afraid. I tried to shift yesterday and the day before that too but something's wrong with me and—"

Percy steps forward, carefully reaching out and setting his hand on her shoulder. Other than holding her hand earlier, this is one of the first times that he's touched her, even though his wolf is always pressuring him into getting close to her. Percy reminds himself to give her space. She's been through a lot. She deserves to be at ease around him.

"Hey," he starts softly. "It's okay. There's nothing wrong with you. It's just stress, okay? Your wolf is fine. She's just scared and not used to it here yet."

Percy stiffens in surprise when Annabeth turns her head into him and rests her cheek against his shoulder. One of Percy's arms automatically wraps around her waist, and he rubs his open hand up and down her back.

"I know you were trying to protect me when you brought me here," Annabeth starts suddenly, voice muffled by Percy's shirt. "But I'm still not used to it here. I don't know if I ever will be able to be normal. I might be fucked up forever."

Percy growls, tightening his grip on her. "You are _not_ fucked up. There's nothing wrong with you, understand? You're perfect, and it's totally normal to be nervous about this. It's barely been a month, Annabeth."

She shudders when he says her name, and something close to hope blossoms in Percy's chest. Maybe she _does_ feel the same way about him as he does about her.

It's a thought for another day. Right now, he has to help her.

"Your wolf is fine, okay? She's probably just scared. Once you shift and let her run around and get used to it here, you'll both feel better," Percy explains, lifting his other hand and gently running his fingers through her hair.

She's relaxing against him now, the tension draining out of her body as he combs his hand over her back and through her hair. Her voice even sounds a little better when she says, "How will I shift if I can't even hear her?"

"I'll help you," Percy says.

He holds her close for a few minutes, waiting until she completely relaxes against him. He wonders if she knows that her arms are around him too, clutching his back and holding her body to his. He kind of bets that she doesn't.

After a short moment, Percy gently pushes her back from him, running his hands down her arms and putting them to her sides. Her eyes are held half open, like she was halfway to sleep, but when Percy takes a step back from her, she blinks and the alarm fills her gray eyes again.

"Hey," Percy says immediately, reaching out to cup her cheek for a second. "Relax. I've got you."

She nods carefully, but she doesn't relax again. Percy can hear his wolf huffing at him for not being closer to her. He resists the urge to roll his eyes.

Percy stares at her, catching her gaze and holding her eyes. She looks scared, and Percy can almost _see_ her wolf in her eyes, cowering and shuffling nervously. He should have done something about this sooner—no wonder she hasn't been able to settle down. Her wolf is scared and confused. Annabeth probably can't even think straight right now.

He takes a step closer until his chest is almost brushing hers, and he stares down at her intently. She's almost quivering under his gaze, but she holds still, brave like always.

"Shift, Annabeth," he says, voice deep and commanding. He's never done this before, but he figures it's totally possible since he's her Alpha.

Her body shudders at her name, and she looks away. Percy tilts her chin back up to his so she has to look him in the eye, and he lets a bit of a growl slip into his voice when he says, " _Shift._ "

The air starts to shimmer around her, and she lets out a sigh before she starts to shift. Percy grins smugly and steps back to give her plenty of room.

He's never seen her in her beta form before, and she's just as beautiful as she is when she's in human form. Her fur is light gray with a sandy tint to it, and she's lean and muscular. Percy crouches down in front of her, smiling. She pads over to him, getting close enough to press her nose into his chest and sniff him.

He laughs lightly, running his fingers through her fur on top of her head. He tilts her head up and grins when he says, "Hey. You're beautiful."

She huffs and butts her head against him.

"I'll take you on a run if you want to go. You haven't even seen any of the territory yet," Percy says, scratching behind her ear.

Annabeth whines, and Percy stands up and backs away from her, calling up his wolf and shifting easily.

He pads over to her when he's shifted, twisting around her body and sniffing her curiously. She smells insanely good, and Percy's doing all he can to hold his wolf back, to keep from marking her.

He takes off down the path, letting Annabeth catch up to him. After a while, she pulls rank and Percy lets her, watching her carefully and staying a few steps behind her.

They run for a long time, and Percy keeps up with her even though he's tired because she's excited and it's so great to finally see her happy about something. Thankfully, she starts to slow down and then stops completely in a meadow that Percy likes to visit when he's on his own.

Seeing Annabeth's wolf reminds him of his dreams. All of his thoughts are confirmed just by looking at her. She's it for him. She's his, and he's hers.

He tries to shake himself, tries to remember that she's still new and that she needs his help to get used to it here.

Percy's wolf hesitates at that, and he thinks that he's won this battle, but when Annabeth turns toward him with heavy eyes and a bowed head, all of his logic goes out of the window.

He stalks toward her, winding around her as she holds perfectly still. When he gets back in front of her, she holds her head up and licks his muzzle.

Percy crowds her, pushing her down to the ground. She keeps licking him, and Percy cannot see straight anymore.

Suddenly, he feels her lips on his, and he realizes that they've shifted back to human form. He doesn't know how long it's been, but Annabeth is laying on her back in the grass. Percy is hovering over her, barely keeping his weight off of her with his arms on either side of her head. He's kissing her, and she's kissing him back and every time that he tries to pull away for air, she makes this little whining noise that sends a shock through Percy and pulls him right back.

He doesn't know how long it takes him to get his head back and to realize that they're actually _kissing._ But when he does, he wonders what the hell is going on and how he could have been so fucking stupid.

He finally pulls back, listening to her sigh. Her eyes flutter open, and she looks completely blissed out right now and Percy's wolf is going so fucking crazy at the sight of her like this he can already feel his canines slipping down so he can mark her.

Instead, he blinks hard, and that's enough to make the thoughts go away. Annabeth still has her hands on him, one resting over his heart and the other sliding up his neck and into his hair.

"Hey," he says. "Annabeth. Snap out of it."

It takes her another few seconds, but when she realizes what's going on and where she is, she seems more confused than panicked. Percy thinks that it's a good sign at least.

"What—" she starts, looking up at him in concern. She must still be in a fog because she lifts one of her hands and traces his lips with her fingers.

He grins and brushes a strand of her hair out of her eyes, "I think our wolves like each other."

Annabeth eyes widen, and she blushes as she realizes what must have happened. Her lips are swollen, and her cheeks are red, and Percy wants to see her like this every fucking day. He wants her so bad that he can't stand it.

She blinks suddenly, and a smile graces her face. "I can hear her again!"

Percy breathes out a laugh. "Good, I'm glad."

He realizes that they're still laying in the grass, so Percy carefully gets to his feet. He holds a hand out to Annabeth, and she distractedly lets him help her up. Her eyebrows are furrowed, and she's staring off across the field.

"Hey," Percy says, tapping his fingers against her hand. "She talking your ear off now?"

She nods, blinking a few times before she gives him a small smile, "Yeah. She's—she's really happy. I've never heard her like this before."

And really, that fucking breaks Percy's heart. He grips her hand harder and pulls her a bit closer to him.

It's a few more seconds until Annabeth blushes again, and Percy thinks that she's finally grasping that they were actually kissing a few minutes ago.

She gasps a little, "Percy, I'm so. I didn't realize—"

He laughs softly, and just because she's so fucking cute, he pulls her into a hug. She freezes, but after a few seconds, she relaxes into him.

"Don't worry about it. Like I said, our wolves must like each other. Sorry I couldn't control mine better," he says gently, worried that he might mess this up. He doesn't know what he would do if he couldn't have this someday.

"Yeah, but if I'm remembering right, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who started it—"

He laughs a bit louder this time, holding her closer until he lets go of her and forces himself to take a step back. "Maybe so, but still. I should have had better control. Can't say I regret it though. You're a great kisser."

"I am?"

"Of course you are, Annabeth," Percy says, confused. "Hasn't anyone ever told you that?"

"Well," she hesitates and glances down at the ground. "No one's ever—I've never kissed anybody before."

And _god,_ that fucking ruins him.

"Oh," he says quietly. "I'm sorry I messed up your first kiss."

She rolls her eyes, and her face is still red. She looks more like herself now than Percy has ever seen her. She says, "No. It was a good first kiss, but you don't have to just say that because there's probably someone else you can—"

Percy growls all of a sudden, and his ferocity scares both of them. He says, "There's no one else, Annabeth. I knew it the first time I saw you."

There's a heavy pause between them, and then, she asks, "Knew what?"

He curses to himself. He has been trying to keep this to himself for as long as possible. He wants to make sure that she got integrated into the pack before he throws this at her too.

"I have dreams," he admits quietly. "About a gray wolf. When I first met you that day back at your old pack, that's why your scent was familiar to me. I've known since then."

She's staring at him, jaw open and eyes wide. Percy's not sure what she's going to say, but then she's reaching out towards him and reaching up to touch his face.

"I have the same ones," she whispers, surprising Percy. "Black wolf. You."

He nods, "Me."

"So what does this mean?"

Percy sighs, pulling her closer. "Nothing."

She squeaks against him. "Nothing?"

He can't help but laugh at how indignant she sounds, like he's being an idiot. He says, "Not right now it doesn't. You need to get used to it here. I need to help you. We'll figure this out as we go along, but we're not rushing. We're going to do it right."

"Percy," she whines, dropping her head to his shoulder. He wonders if it's her or her wolf arguing with him right now. It's a bit hard for him to care either way.

"I'm right here," he says.

She wiggles closer to him, but Percy laughs again and holds her back. She's frowning up at him.

"Hey, we've got all the time in the world," he says. "What's the rush?"

"You're a little infuriating."

"And you're fun when you're not nervous."

She gets quiet. "No one has ever told me that before."

Damn. She's going to break his whole heart in one fucking day. His leans closer to her and whispers, "You're beautiful too and so, so brave."

She blinks up at him, but she doesn't say anything.

"Want to go back to the house? I bet it's almost time for dinner," he says, offering her his hand. He knows that she wants more, but he doesn't know if it's her wolf telling her that or if it's really _her._ Until then, he's holding back. Or at least, he's going to try to.

Annabeth nods and slips her hand into his.

The walk back is quiet. Annabeth keeps a tight hold on his hand, staying close enough to his side that he can actually feel the heat radiating from her body. Every few seconds, Percy catches himself glancing over at her, and he really can't believe that he's found her, that she's here with him, and that she knows and wants this.

When they get back in sight of the house, Percy pulls her to a stop.

She looks confused, but there's a small smile on her face. She raises an eyebrow at him.

"That was your first kiss?" he asks again, letting his other hand slide around to her back.

She nods, gray eyes narrowed in suspicion when she looks up at him. "Yeah."

He bites back a grin, "Can we redo it? I don't think a surprise kiss initiated by our wolves counts."

Annabeth blushes lightly, but she rolls her eyes at him before she says, "I guess so."

Percy laughs lightly and uses his hand on her back to pull her closer until she's pressed up against his chest. His other hand is still tangled with hers, and he keeps their hands at their sides.

He slowly leans down and slots his lips to hers.

She responds against him immediately. It's sweet and chaste and everything he's ever imagined while thinking about her.

When he pulls back, Annabeth's eyes are shining with tears.

He leans his forehead against hers and whispers, "I've dreamed about you for as long as I can remember."

She swallows, and one of her hands fists in his shirt to keep him close. She says, "I'm glad I found you."

Percy smiles and presses his lips to her forehead. "Me too, Annabeth."

The sun is sinking low over the horizon, bleeding red and orange onto the darkening sky. Percy turns back to look toward the house. He tightens his grip on Annabeth's hand, and together, they walk back to eat dinner.

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Leave a review!**

 **-SomethingMoreCreative**


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